The present invention relates to people mover systems and more particularly to guideway switches for such systems.
In cross referenced basic patent application Ser. No. 07/211,723 (W.E. 53,893, a general background description is presented and there is disclosed the structure and operation of a new rotary guideway switch and a new guideway configuration for people mover systems. That disclosure embodies a plurality of basic and improvement inventions and accordingly a family of patent applications, including the present application and those applications listed in the Cross-Reference section, are being filed concurrently in correspondence to the respective inventions.
The present patent application is directed to a rotary guideway switch that is efficiently structured to provide car guidance while supporting car loading essentially through only a single tire path over the switch face. The switch can be embodied in various switching configurations, such as a single turnout or a double turnout, and the switch guideway configuration that is placed in operational position in each embodiment guides the car between entry and exit guideway paths while imposing on the switch only that load portion that is transmitted through the tires on one side of the car or the substantial equivalent thereof.